Time After Time: Amiboshi's Story
by The Critic
Summary: A fic about my favorite seiryuu seishi! The story itself is actually Amiboshi's memory flash before he falls into the river...


The sky was a roaring gray and a shower of raindrops fell slowly and loudly onto the small shack. Dusty clouds circled the sky, crowded together and huddling closely as if they, too were stricken numb by the awful weather that thundered across the sky and threatened to destroy all in its path. A rushing wind sounded through the deserted village.  
  
Suboshi clutched tightly to his older brother, whimpering softly. "Kotoku, will the storm ever stop?"  
  
"Don't worry," Amiboshi reassured him. "It has to stop soon."  
  
Suboshi's eyes widened as a flash of thunder boomed outside. They were huddled in the small shack together, their small faces luminous in the darkness. The shack was a mess, hardly a suitable place for braving a storm, for the boards above were cracked and loose, raindrops falling through the cracks rapidly and creating big puddles on the floor. The scent of blood still littered the air, for it hadn't been long since the village had been attacked by another vicious army and the twins' parents had perished with many others, leaving Suboshi and Amiboshi to survive alone in the cruel world they were unfortunately born in.  
  
"I miss our parents," Suboshi murmured silently, tears cascading down his face like the rainwater on the roof. "Why did they have to go away?" His tiny voice erupted into sorrowful cries, the wailing echoing in the empty room.  
  
Amiboshi hugged him close, his eyes frantically searching the small shack for some sort of tool that would maintain their survival in this horrible weather. "Don't cry, Shunkaku. They'll come back soon."  
  
"When? When will they come back?"  
  
Possessing a deep wisdom not normally found in someone as young as he, Amiboshi knew that their parents were gone forever. The war had torn many families apart, theirs included, and he knew that he had to protect Suboshi with all that he had. He was the only thing he had left.  
  
"Someday," he answered quietly.  
  
Brushing away at his own tears, Amiboshi pulled Suboshi over to a bare corner in the little shack, where he dug up a dusty blanket out of the loads of wood left behind on the dirty ground. He wrapped the blanket around the both of them, and they huddled together in the dim light, flinching when another crash of thunder sounded loudly in the distance. And as they sat silently as the storm raged on, cold but not alone, the darkness overcame their senses and soon they were both asleep.  
  
Amiboshi awoke first, rubbing his eyes as he peered around the shack, trying to adjust his sight to the lack of light. He heard his stomach growl softly. How many days had it been since they had eaten? He couldn't remember. Looking over at Suboshi's silent form sleeping next to him, Amiboshi pushed frantic thoughts out of his head as he tried to think up a plan. Suboshi would be no help when he awoke, he knew. He had to take care of the both of them.  
  
Amiboshi stood up, the thin blanket falling around his knees. He brushed it off and wrapped it more tightly around Suboshi. His eyes watered slightly as he looked sadly as his twin's peaceful face, but he refused to let himself cry. Where would they be if he couldn't control his emotions? Amiboshi walked to the entrance of the shack.  
  
The storm seemed to have stopped, but the darkness of the night prevented him from looking more closely. The wind still blew softly, but the thunder and lightning had ceased, and Amiboshi felt himself relax. At least they had survived that. They would have to go from there.  
  
Amiboshi watched over his brother until the first of dawn rose, bringing with it a clear sky and a quiet atmosphere outside. Slowly, Amiboshi shook Suboshi gently to awake him. After a few minutes, Suboshi's eyes finally opened and the two of them walked outside, surveying the empty village. They walked silently forward, Amiboshi in the lead, and Suboshi following silently behind him, his hand clasped tightly in his brother's. Amiboshi tried not to look at the dead bodies around him, the arrows piercing through their clothing as a small remnant of the battle that seemed far away now. Suboshi stayed close to his brother, his eyes widening as he saw traces of death all around him but he, too, could not make a noise.  
  
After they had covered an impressive amount of distance across the village, Suboshi suddenly pulled on Amiboshi's hand.  
  
"I'm hungry," he said.  
  
Amiboshi sighed. He knew this would happen sooner or later. He could feel the numbness in his own stomach, its muscles begging for a bit of nourishment. He didn't know where they could find food, but he knew he had to try.  
  
"I'll try to find some food. Just stay behind me."  
  
Amiboshi scanned what was left of the village and his eyes lit up when he spotted the woods up ahead. He ran forward, leaving Suboshi to run after him, and eventually reached several trees with fruit growing on them. He tried to climb one of them, fell, and tried again. Finally he reached the top and pulled off as much as his small hands could carry. He rushed back to Suboshi and handed him the biggest piece.  
  
"Here, eat this for now," he said, biting into one himself. It was both sweet and bitter, and the juice ran slowly down his chin as he munched in satisfaction. It wasn't much, but it would fill his stomach for now if he ate enough of them. He handed Suboshi another piece of the fruit.  
  
A few minutes later, at Amiboshi's insistence, they continued traveling the road of rubble and dust. Soon Suboshi complained that he was tired, and Amiboshi had no choice but to stop for a quick rest. Again, he watched over his brother until he had to wake him once more, and they moved on ahead, his own eyes heavy with fatigue and his legs aching to stop.  
  
Soon he realized that they had reached another village, and out of the corner of his eye he saw that it was not empty like the last one had been. A pack of horses and men were just around the bend. Trying not to alarm Suboshi by mentioning what he saw, Amiboshi pulled him toward some trees and told him to stay put until he came back. Before Suboshi could protest, Amiboshi hurried forward and hid behind some rocks to investigate. There were four men in all, but the one closest to him wore a helmet that covered most of his face and a lot of armor. He seemed to be telling the three others beside him something important. Amiboshi couldn't detect what they were saying but judging by the manner of the three other men, it seemed clear that the one nearest was the leader. He tried to get closer, but before he could move, he heard the snap of a twig behind him. His heart beating fast, Amiboshi whirled around.  
  
It was Suboshi. Amiboshi let out a sigh of relief and felt a twinge of annoyance. Why couldn't his brother listen for once? He didn't know how dangerous the men were or what they would do if they found them. He didn't want to take risks now, especially after all they had been through. He tried not to express his irritation as he turned to face Suboshi. He placed his hand to his lips, signaling Suboshi not to make any noise. Suboshi nodded. They watched as the four men talked some more and then turned to go the other direction, the leader behind them.  
  
Breathing freely once more, Amiboshi let out his breath in a gulp and pulled on Suboshi's hand to remind him to keep quiet a little longer. He was just about to come out from behind the rock when the man behind suddenly turned and cantered his horse toward their hiding spot. Amiboshi frantically tried to get up and run, but his body seemed to be frozen in fear. His eyes widened in panic as the horse and the man came closer and closer. Suboshi noticed what was happening and let out a soft whimper. Amiboshi clutched his brother's hand tighter. If they were to die, at least they would die together. He held his breath.  
  
Just as he had shut his eyes in quiet acceptance, he felt something flash in front of him. He opened his eyes involuntarily and saw the sharp blade of a sword pointed at them. The hand pointing it belonged to the leader. Amiboshi could now see that his eyes were an icy blue, relentless and silent. He couldn't help peering into them as Suboshi started to cry. The man, seeing who they were, slid his weapon back into its sheath and released the reins on his horse. He stared at them for a second before stepping down from the animal.  
  
Amiboshi was still frozen in fear, vaguely aware of Suboshi's cries beside him. He had never felt so afraid in his life, not since the day he had watched his own parents be slaughtered before his very eyes. The memory of that horror had left a small sort of coldness on his normally gentle heart, not enough to freeze it completely but enough to install a sort of protective strength in his young mind, the strength he summoned now. He had reserved it especially for Suboshi and now he had a feeling they needed it more than ever.  
  
To his surprise, the man did not make any attempt to kill them but instead watched them for a few more minutes as Suboshi continued crying. Finally, he spoke.  
  
"I won't hurt you. You can come out."  
  
He did not know why but Amiboshi trusted his words, and came out of the rocks, pulling Suboshi lightly with him. He squeezed his brother's hand, and because he could often sense the reassurance in his twin's mind rather than his words, Suboshi stopped crying. They stood silently before the stranger, their eyes searching his every move in confusion.  
  
The three men that had accompanied the stranger came into view, and one of them began to draw his sword but the leader stopped him with a wave of his hand.  
  
"They are two of the Seiryuu warriors," the stranger told the soldiers quietly. "I'm going to take them with me."  
  
When Amiboshi heard these words, he felt a strange, completely unfamiliar sense of peace come over him and as he turned to look at his twin, he knew Suboshi felt it, too. Somehow this man would help them. Somehow everything would be all right in the end. Deep inside, though, he knew that he still had to protect his brother with all his strength. Nothing could change that.  
  
"Kotoku, who is this man?" Suboshi whispered.  
  
"I don't know," Amiboshi replied just as softly. "But I know he can help us."  
  
As if he had heard them, the leader's eyes flashed brilliantly in the sun and he answered. "I am the Seiryuu warrior called Nakago. Come with us and we'll take you to safety."  
  
So they did. And as they followed the mysterious stranger and his soldiers, the horizon itself seemed to disappear behind them, marking the end of one journey and the beginning of another.  
  
***  
  
Amiboshi opened his eyes as the last thread of the distant memory dissolved slowly in his foggy mind. So much had happened since then for both him and his brother. And yet they were still together. They would always be, he knew, and the inevitable confidence behind that one fact surrounded his heart and filled him with the strange sense of peace he had felt that one day when Nakago had come to get them. Sadness in its truest form is beautiful, he suddenly thought. That was the last thing that remained gently swaying in his mind and heart, echoing with the name of his twin brother Suboshi, and all of that engulfed Amiboshi as he shut his eyes quietly and fell slowly through the sky, his life force flickering dimly, a dull spark left his veins, and the sense of peace still surging through his conscious as his body floated slowly toward the crashing waves of the flooding river. 


End file.
